A Skyward Life Recognized: Pilot Reaches New Heights

November 08, 2007|By LYNN HOLSTON SHEMATEK, Special to the Daily Press

Yorktown resident Bob Tapscott's life has been up in the air for a long time. In fact, for more than 64 years he has definitely had his head in the clouds as both a military and civilian pilot, flying a wide variety of airplanes and helicopters. His exemplary flight record has proven to be quite impressive, earning him the respect of many of his colleagues.

As a result, the 82-year-old Tapscott was awarded recently the prestigious Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award during a Tidewater Flying Club meeting at the Newport News Williamsburg International Airport. George Ream and Mike Alakszay, both of the Federal Aviation Administration's Richmond Flight Standards District Office, were on hand to present the award.

"I feel good about the recognition," Tapscott said of the award. "It's like icing on the cake of a rewarding flight career."

Tapscott acknowledged the significance of the honor, but he kept it in perspective.

"My most impressive achievement, however, is my three daughters, two granddaughters, and one grandson. They are my lasting legacy."

Ream and Alakszay are a part of a "Blue Ribbon Team" that scrutinizes each candidate's qualifications to determine their eligibility for this award. The following criteria must be met if a candidate is to be considered: The candidate must have held a U.S. Civil Aviation Authority or FAA pilot certificate for 50 or more consecutive years (up to 20 of which may be military experience in combination with civilian experience). A candidate must also have been an American citizen for at least 50 years and must have three letters of recommendation from holders of FAA pilot certificates. Prior accident history and one's pilot record must also be taken into consideration in determining a candidate's eligibility.

For Tapscott, piloting a plane is second nature. A native of Buckingham County, Va., he began his flight career with the Army Air Corps in 1943.

During World War II, he flew a C-47 Skytrain troop-carrying transport plane assigned to fly combat resupply missions into Europe. After D- Day, he transported fuel supplies for Gen. George S. Patton's tanks as they rolled across Germany.

"Sometimes we would have to turn around due to bad weather, but I never had anything happen that scared me too much," he said.

After the war, Tapscott earned his degree at the University of Virginia in nautical engineering and moved into the Hampton Roads area to work for NASA. For the next 30 years, he acted as one of NASA's flight test engineers for helicopters.

"I flew just about every helicopter they had," he said.

His love of flight carried over into his private life, as well.

Tapscott joined the Tidewater Flying Club in the 1960s and has acted as a flight instructor for both military and civilian students for several years.

"One of my favorite tasks as flight instructor was to spend a week at a time training young cadets so they could prepare for flight requirement tests," Tapscott said.

In the civilian arena, Tapscott has overseen hundreds of flights, teaching a variety of students about the joys of piloting. He has trained them for both short and long trips, carefully instilling in his students a sense of responsibility for safety and regulations. He's been everywhere with his students, from the Canadian northwest to the Bahamas, and he plans to go on piloting for a long time.

"I've enjoyed teaching flying," he said. "It's been my hobby." *

JOINING ELITE COMPANY

In the past 2 1/2 years, only six people have been awarded the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award. In that time, Bob Tapscott of Yorktown is the only one from the Hampton Roads area.

Source: FAA

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